Ferrets and bags

Chloe steals an apple

Tip: don't leave zippered bags (such as carry-on luggage, cosmetics containers, laptop bags, and purses) laying around the house if you have a ferret, particularly if you have things in those bags that you'd like to keep possession of.

For some ferrets (I'm referencing Chloe here and, to be realistic, all ferrets), bags hold all the lure of buried treasure. And zippers on bags simply dare them to try and steal the treasure. Remember, ferrets are a bit like bank robbers. You don't want to tempt them and you certainly don't want to dare them. So, keep the bags out of sight, or at least out of reach. Remember, the name for this animal, Mustela putorius furo, actually means “stinky thief.”

Also be careful of leaving openings in your home to anything that might be hazardous to your ferret, including bags, doors, and containers that they might not be able to get out of (such as, speaking from experience, an umbrella stand).

They say curiosity killed the cat...but I believe the saying fits ferrets all the more.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Folic Acid Supplementation

It's not so infrequent that you'll hear arguments against vitamin and mineral supplementation. The mantra typically goes something like "you can get everything you need from natural food sources alone".

And, for the most part, I agree with that statement. A balanced diet, low in processed foods and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and (for non-vegans and non-vegetarians) lean meat can give you exactly what your body needs.

However, as sensible as that mantra may seem, it, nonetheless, flies in the face of one reality: the typical consumer does not enjoy this type of diet and, instead, consumes meals that are high in calories, low in fiber, and largely bereft of nutritional value.

In other words, people tend to eat a lot of cheap, fast food.

The truth is that nutrient supplementation can provide substantial and verifiable benefits. Supplementation, it should be noted, is not synonymous with mega-supplementation, a practice that, for some individuals, may actually be unhealthy and even potentially dangerous (for instance, mega-supplementing with nutrients that have a blood thinning effect when you already use a prescribed anti-coagulant).

And here's a good example of what I mean, recently reported in the news. For more than a decade, white bread products have been enriched with folic acid. The result: statistically significant drops in the incidence of spina bifida and anencephaly among newborns.

This is, of course, a very specific example, as it applies to women of childbearing age. However, it does illustrate the point. For optimal health benefits and to lessen the risk of certain conditions, supplementation can sometimes fill in the gaps left by a modern lifestyle.

One Ferret's Passing

This is surely one of the saddest posts I've ever read. No one wants to lose a cherished pet, but the loss and grief a person feels when a pet dies is a testament to the animal's life. I hope this site remains up.

Saying Goodbye



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Other ferret sites

Some people think that directories have gone out of fashion on the web. I disagree. There's really ample room for the development of special interest niche directories that serve a specific type of user community. Perhaps, one day, I'll take the time to develop a list of every great ferret site out there and organize it. Perhaps not. In the meantime, though, I have a small list of a few good sites on the homepage for Chloe's mini-blog. The list should grow over time.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

How many ferrets are there named Chloe?

I have a feeling that there might be quite a few actually. I suppose, as with people, certain names achieve popularity (I didn't name Chloe, by the way. She was a rescue, for which I am always glad and grateful) and this phenomenon applies to house skunks, or ferrets. Actually, I shouldn't compare Chloe or other ferrets to skunks. She is a cousin to the mighty and honorable skunk, but she has been, as I'm sure most house ferrets have been, descented. Still, the little weasel does seem to need a bath every few days. If not, her "aroma" starts leaning toward the skunky end of the weasel family spectrum.

Here's a link to another page about a ferret named Chloe:

Chloe ferret finds a cozy place to nap...



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

New Stuff

Here are two new articles by Opal Tribble. The first is on The Mediterranean Diet and the second is a very informative article about Yoga, titled Yoga: A Path To Exercise, Healing, And Enlightenment

Also, here are the most recent additions to the dictionary that's under construction:

Hypothalamus

Inflammation

Statins

Sucrose

Telomeres

Sucralose

Norepinephrine

Glucose

Human growth hormone

How much play-time does a ferret need?

Chloe luxuriates on a comforter

I've seen more than one book recommend several hours of daily "out of the cage" time for a pet ferret. But this may be difficult for many owners due to the fact that when a ferret is out and running about, an owner should remain attentive to what is going on, which can be demanding.

Obviously, you don't want things destroyed, household items knocked over, or off a shelf and broken. And you certainly don't want your ferret becoming hurt or injured simply because you weren't paying attention. Having a ferret "out" is similar in a sense to babysitting.

So, how much playtime your fuzzy friend gets will probably be mediated by how willing or able you are to devote supervisory attention to the task. And, of course, if you are very tired or have to concentrate on something tedious and anxiety-provoking like doing your taxes, you may not "especially want" your ferret out and causing bedlam.

However, your ferret does NEED to be out of its cage EVERY day without fail. Repeat: your ferret needs this!

And if you can't provide daily opportunities for your ferret to be out in the house, running around, investigating, exploring, and playing (and occasionally causing havoc), you DON'T NEED to own a ferret. Because you will have a very sad ferret and you will, in fact, be a terrible ferret owner.

Ferrets are highly intelligent animals and crave and require free time out of their cages, no matter no how nice the cage may be.

How long your ferret should be out will be dictated by two parties, you and your ferret. You, as the first party, will let your ferret out and responsibly watch him/her. Your ferret, as the second party, will dutifully engage in ferret activities (causing chaos and generally having fun). Your ferret will also at some point begin to wind down (sometimes after eating) at which point, you, as the first party, should notice and then take your pet back to its cage where it can crawl into its hammock or into its sleep sack (contrary to the advertising images in stores, Chloe refuses to use a hammock).

In my case, Chloe gets out in the morning, and then again at night. In each case, I try to make sure that no one is visiting (you don't want doors opening and shutting--too tempting to a ferret--and you don't want excess "people feet" moving around since a ferret can be injured by a careless person who is not paying attention).

I also try to make sure that I interact with her when she's out. In other words, don't just let your ferret out. She's not a cat. Ferrets like to interact. Yes, sometimes they are cat-like in that they will sometimes ignore you and do their own thing. But, sometimes, a ferret will want nothing more than to play with you. And you should be available for this. Ferrets have short lives. And they live fast and furious. And if you are going to own a ferret, you should be willing to accomodate them and allow them to be happy. Because if you provide the opportunity for this, they will be.

Once again, don't be a ferret owner unless you TRULY can be.


Oh, forgot to mention: when Chloe starts eating, I know that is my signal to put her back in the cage, because otherwise she will slink off and find a place to hide and fall asleep in (a hardware drawer, the bottom of an armoire, or my sock bin).



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Developing a rudimentary beginning workout routine

Here's a factoid: A german study found that those individuals who had the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet had the lowest rates of hay fever.

Fortunately, I've never had hayfever. Nor have I had problems with allergies.

Anyway, I was asked by someone if I could supply a basic free weight workout routine. This is for an individual who certainly has the genetic potential to develop a significant amount of strength and muscle (you could describe his physique as metamorphic, with some endomorphic properties), but has almost no experience working out in the gym.

This is what I told him. He needs to start with basic exercises and, initially, it wouldn't be a bad idea to simply do one basic exercise per major muscle group. I also told him to use an amount of weight, on each exercise, that would allow him to comfortably accomplish 8-10 repetitions in good form (i.e. no jerking of the back on curls or pushdowns, and no bouncing of the bar on presses).

The routine I setup for him is a very basic four-day-split that groups certain complementary muscle groups together on mondays and thursdays, and other complementary muscle groups together on tuesdays and fridays.

What is the purpose of this type of split workout routine? Quite simple. It allows you to avoid overworking certain muscle groups by working them all on the say day and it also allows more than ample time for muscle recuperation.


Mondays and Thursdays

Chest - Bench Press
Shoulders - Lateral shoulder raises
Triceps - Tricep pushdowns on a pulley machine

Tuesdays and Fridays

Back - Lat (latissimus dorsi) pulldowns
Biceps - Dumbbell curls


This routine does not mention abs or legs, of course. But for an individual who is just starting a workout routine, particularly a free weight routine, there's no harm in taking graduated steps.

The Fox and the Hound

Here's a link to a really endearing story about an orphaned fox who was adopted by a three-year-old dog. However, the story reminds me of the lady (I could say "girl" since she is only about 22 but I'm not sure if that sounds right) who regularly cuts my hair. She seemed to think that foxes are not part of the canine family. She stated once, as I sat in her chair, "foxes are really small, but that's because they're rodents". Which, of course, has to be one of the most memorable comments I've come across. Perhaps she should consider employment at Petsmart where all the clerks seem to think that ferrets are rodents as well. Well, I shouldn't laugh too hard at her expense. Perhaps, oneday, she'll learn that foxes are not related to rats and mice. But, then again, I do live in the south and "book lernin" still has a "ways to go".

This is really a great story:

Adopting a fox

What I ate for breakfast

This is not the first time I've posted about what I've eaten for breakfast and I suppose it won't be the last. Today, I had a green apple and a variety of nuts, in addition to a third of a zero cholesterol, zero fat omelet (too many mushrooms in this one for me to continue eating it).

Nuts are great because they are a source of monounsaturated fat (in a prior post, I mentioned that monounsaturated fat has been linked to weight loss and a more efficient metabolism). And specific nuts can be great sources of certain nutrients. For example, brazil nuts supply selenium, a mineral and antioxidant.

Can you eat too many apples, though? As they say, too much of anything can potentially be harmful. In this case, that would probably mean eating apples and nothing else. Regarding myself, I probably eat three green apples a day. And the greener they are, the more I like them.

In addition to providing fiber, I recall reading that quercetin (bioflavonoid) is found in apples, as well as in bananas and onions. Studies seem to suggest that quercetin can lessen the inflammation that causes sinus pain and congestion. Quercetin supplements often contain bromelain. Bromelain, nicely enough, is an anti-inflammatory agent that boosts the absorption of quercetin.

More entries in the Dictionary

Work on the Vitaminstuff dictionary of terms continues. Here are the latest entries. What will be interesting, of course, when the dictionary is completed, is going back and crosslinking the terms where appropriate (i.e. where relevancy applies).

For example, serotonin and neurotransmitters would be crosslinked, as would the terms insulin, insulin resistance, and pancreas.



Insulin

Insulin Resistance

Kidneys

Naturopathy

Neurotransmitters

Pancreas

Phytonutrients

Pituitary Gland

Serotonin

Probiotics

Collected Posts from the Vitamin Stuff Blog

Here are more collected posts from this blog. In other words, this is--

Archive page #2

Black Pepper Treats Skin Pigment Disease
Does sugar cause wrinkles?
Whole grains can shrink your mid-section and ward off disease
True Sex Foods and Aphrodesiacs
Get more sleep - Lose more weight
Supplemental Drinks and Too Faced Marketing
Short naps Boost Memory
Eating Red Meat Increases Colon Cancer
Researchers may have found a Longevity Gene
Limiting Yeast Consumption may lead to a longer healthier life
Botox: from food poisoning to wrinkle eliminator
What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk of Colon Cancer
Fish Oil is a healthy source of good fat
Peppers, Capsaicin, and Prostate Cancer
Artificial sweetener linked to weight gain
Food Enzymes
Losing Weight to Decrease your Risk of Cancer?
Cannabis Causes Gum Disease
Women’s G-Spot Found?
Don’t Supersize your meals – Superpower them with Super Foods
Nutritious, Amazing Olive Oil
Simple ways for cutting calories
Fish is Probably Healthy, Even With Mercury
Depression, Social Interaction, Endorphins, and Exercise
Acupuncture Not Just a Placebo
Type II Diabetes, Weight Loss, and Gatric Banding
Gout and Sugar Soft Drinks
Acupuncture Really Helps Osteoarthritis Sufferers According to Study
Nutrition for Healthier Eyes
Media Fallacies: Don't always believe the mainstream media
Can Acupuncture help In Vitro Fertilization?
Acupuncture as an anesthetic and the Limbic System
Organic food really is healthier
Pregnant Mothers Need Vitamin E to Reduce Asthma in Children
What's a Blogroll really for?
How the sexes fare when they reach 100 years
High Fat Diets and Vitamin C Create Carcinogens
Jumper - sci fi movie that jumped and fell short
Grape Seeds - the seeds themselves are a nutritional element
Creatine is a Natural Constituent of Skeletal Muscle
Inflammation allows the body to heal itself
Eat Grapefruit for Healthy Gums
The Devil is, obviously, in the Details

Hydrotherapy comes in Various Forms
Weight Training for Health
Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis May Not be Effective
Substituting Grape Juice and Grape Seed Extract for Wine
Smoking and Alzheimer's
The Sweetener Stevia and Diet Soda
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - its not hype
Would I ever undergo Lasik?
Dietary vitamin E can boost physical health for the elderly
Getting more fiber in your diet
Low Carb Diet versus Low Fat Diet
Protein Burns More Energy
DHEA Levels, Beer, and...erectile dysfunction, arthritis, etc.
Sleep, Carbs, and Food Cravings
Multiple Sclerosis and the Best Best Diet
Successful management of osteoarthritis
More definitions added
Working out to improve your sleep cycle
Drinking beats Exercise for Heart Health?
Bodybuilding and nutrition
Alternative Medicine and Migraines
Vitamin D Supplementation
Why the issue of nutrient supplementation is fluid and complex
Folic Acid Supplementation
Developing a rudimentary beginning workout routine
The fox and the hound
More entries in the Dictionary
What I ate for breakfast
Visceral Fat a.k.a Hidden Belly fat
Deaths caused by poor nutrition
Future Medicines in Danger

Visceral Fat a.k.a Hidden Belly fat

Visceral fat is another term for hidden belly fat, the fat that builds up around your internal organs. What are the risks of having too much visceral fat? That's an easy one: an increased risk for the development of metabolic syndrome and the onset of type II diabetes, in addition to hypercholesterolemia and hypertension.

In other words, if you build up too much visceral fat and maintain it for too long, you are putting yourself at risk for all the these conditions, not to mention cardiovascular disease and impaired kidney functioning.

Fortunately, however, visceral fat can be reduced through a number of tried and true techniques. There's nothing new about these techniques, of course, but they are certainly worthy of repetition.

1. Burn more calories by becoming more active. If you don't have time to go to the gym, at the very least try a morning or afternoon walk and do it consistently. Even getting a minimal amount of physical activity into your daily routine can, over the long haul, make a difference in your health. Consistency and repetition are really key. And if your job is sedentary and requires you to be chained to a desk, keyboard, and monitor all day long, make sure you get up and stretch or walk around frequently. Recent evidence indicates that the mere act of remaining sedentary for prolonged periods without interruption can sabotage an individual's attempts to lose weight.

2. Reduce your portions and eat more meals, not less. Those who vacation in Europe typically notice two things when Americans and Europeans are dining in restaurants. Americans are larger and they take bigger portions at meal time. The truth is, however, that few of us really need to consume the portion sizes that we have become accustomed to. By reducing portion size, you can begin to get a handle on appetite control and satiety and make life easier for your gastrointestinal processes. And eating a number of smaller meals throughout the day versus 2-3 large meals each day can help facilitate this. Not only that, it can help you avoid glycemic overloading and spikes in blood glucose levels, which, over time, can lead to insulin resistance.

3. Eat more monounsaturated fats. There's a reason why the residents of certain countries can include a significant amount of fat in their dietary intake without increases in average weight and added visceral fat. And it has everything to do with the type of fat they consume. Monounsaturated fats have been linked to weight loss and a more efficient metabolism. Where do you find monounsaturated fats? Olives, avocados, nuts (including peanuts, almonds, pistachios), seeds, and even peanut butter. However, from the standpoint of meal preparation, substituting olive oil for standard cooking oil is an excellent idea.

4. Get more polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce overall cholesterol levels and can also help to lower your levels of bad cholesterol, or LDLs. These good fats can be obtained from fish oil, seafood, and nuts, foods that are coincidental for omega-3 fatty acids.

Future Medicines in Danger

There are a number of reasons for increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine and herbal medicine. And one of those reasons is the realization that many of the pharmaceutical agents that we rely on have a basis and origin in nature.

However, I didn't know the following statistic until this morning: more than half of all prescription drugs were developed from chemicals that were first identified in wild plants.

It's not just speculation, but fact that there are future medicines "out there" still, just waiting to be discovered and utilized. This was actually the premise of a 1992 movie featuring two of my favorite actors, Sean Connery and Lorraine Braccho (later of Sopranos fame). The movie was Medicine Man and its focus was the destruction of the rain forest for short-sighted agricultural purposes (short-sighted because this type of land is not suited to farming and gives out quickly).

And with all this in mind, here's a link to an article titled:

Medical plants 'face extinction'

Deaths caused by poor nutrition

The link at the bottom of the page leads to an article that reports that three and a half million children die globally each year as a result of poor nutrition.

Amazingly, one out of four of these deaths could have been prevented by breast feeding and vitamin A supplements (the article also mentions zinc supplements).

Something else that I found interesting was the article's focus on poor nutrition and the resulting effect on growth. Vitamin and mineral deficiency states can irreparably stunt human physical growth, and damage cognitive growth and development as well.

Deficiencies of basic nutrients, however, should be easy enough to rectify with basic supplements. And it makes me wonder if any programs exist to distribute vitamin and mineral supplements to populations that are at risk due to basic nutrient deficiencies.

Poor diets 'kill 3.5m children'